After Quad ESL's?

I have Quad57s and a highly tweaked Hammer Dynamics speaker. I've had the Quads for years and even built some home made electrostatics back in the early 80's. So as you can see I am a Quad lover. However, I don't think the Quads are really neutral speakers. They have a bump in the mid bass and definitely are rolled off in the highs but have a gorgeous mid range and the mid bass bump sounds nice too. I play my Quads pretty loud but they tend to buzz or resonate when played too loud at certain resonant frequencies. Therefore I used my Quads primarily for female vocals and acoustical music. Other than female vocals I find the Hammer Dynamics to be a better all around speaker since they are very detailed and can play very loud, not to say that they sound bad on female vocals but no speaker can beat the Quads in this area. They are also 97db and mate well with my 45 SET amp. Even with the 45 SET amp, I can feel the bass on some music and I feel they play as low as my sub but not quite as loud. The Quads do take a lot of room and that's why I have them against the wall when I am not playing them, my Hammer's are my every day speakers. See my system for pictures.

Sorry I forgot to mention that the Hammer's image like crazy. They image as well as mini monitors and especially with my Lenco Turntable some music seem to extend past the walls and the low bass envelopes me like no other speaker I've had before. The bass is tighter and more pin point than the Quads. I had a Lowther Medallion owner over who was caught by suprise and was totally amazed with the imaging of the Hammers.

The Quad's do however have a larger image and sound great on live concerts with a lot of ambience. Lot of this is probably due to the Quads being dipoles and all the late reflections which make them sound larger with a lot of ambience. The Hammers are not bad in this area also but everything seems to be highly focused with the images being more pin point but not as full sounding as the Quads. The Hammers really shines on great recordings but are not as forgiving on bad recordings like the Quads. I highly recommend the Hammers if you don't mind building your own.

If you can live with less bass or would use a sub the newest "V2" LS3/5a put out by stirling broadcast (order only from the UK) is very good in the same sort of way the 57's are. They improve on the normal LS3/5a with better bass texture, better freq. extension and play louder without strain. Many of the folks who have these also have quads and use these instead. Not that they are better than 57's but the WAF is so much higher and they feel they lose very little if at all.

I have a set an really like them.

Stephen

I have owned Quad 989's, loved listening to them and enjoyed their warm very engaging sweet midrange; however, I made the mistake of A/B ing them against Dynaudio C-1, which thoroughly trounced them in the highs and lows and made it a horse race in the mid range!

I used very fine all tube electronics and a turntable with a Koetsu for the comparison and purist cable.

The C-1 is a small monitor that delivers amazing bass, the coherance of an electrostat and smooth extended highs. The only drawback is the price...$ 6000 pr.

I want to get back to all of you.

I bought a pair of Gallo Ref 3's based on listening to a pair that had been broken by a nearby dealer.

Given how this new pair of ref 3's sounds after 75hrs of break in (apparently only 1/3 of the way through), I would have already returned them if I hadn't heard the dealer's pair. Fabulous tweeter but still searing at this point. I chose these for their:
1) Sound (very refined)
2) Great dispersion/ Imaging
3) Lack of cabinet resonance
4) Bass extention and potential
5) Simplicity of crossover (easy to drive/ tube friendly
6) Highest WAF of ALL (at our house), (I also like the looks)

I have also decided to update my ancient amps (Quad II Mono's, contact me if you are interested in them), and bought a used CJ MV-60, here. I love music, and have loved CJ amps because they make music.

I have used the MV-75, MV-50, Premier 4, Premeir 5's, Mv-55, and now it will be the MV-60. Lew and Bill's company is always a pleasure to deal with for updates and service (of which I have needed little).

I am also going to try a pair of NuForce monos for the second voice coil, and perhaps full range. NuForce makes an amazing new switching amp, small, cool running, and powerful, 100wpc Monos for $1600. I'll try 'em! Word has it that they compare favorably with the highe$t of the high (all bow), THE HALCRO.

I'll be comparing the NuForce amps to the MV-60's holographic midrange, and also the Rowland 201's and we shall see what we shall see.